[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.The army was looking for Powell tosmooth out the problems and restore a sense of discipline.Powell quickly displayed the forceful command style thatwould become his hallmark.He discharged the malcontents bums, he later called them and ordered the drug users put43The Corridor of Powerin jail.He ran everyone else four miles each morning andspent the rest of the day working them equally hard; by night-fall, no one had enough energy left to cause trouble.All thewhile, he emphasized a spirit of cooperation.Within a fewmonths, Powell s approach had yielded clear-cut results.Blacks and whites worked together peacefully and socializedwith one another as well.In 1974, Powell returned to the Pentagon, this time as anoperations research analyst in the office of the assistantdefense secretary.The army, however, apparently had greaterthings in store for him.The next year, Powell received wordthat he had been accepted into the National War College atFort Lesley J.McNair, in the nation s capital.Founded by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1946 to promoteunderstanding among the various branches of the armedforces and to bridge any communications gap between theDefense and State departments, the National War College hassince evolved into an institution that provides education innational security policy to selected military officers and careercivil service employees of federal departments and agenciesconcerned with national security.The ten-month academicprogram emphasizes the study of major issues likely to affectthe national security of the United States.In 1975, Powell, along with nearly 100 officers of comparablerank from the various armed forces and about 40 civilians,began his studies at the National War College.The curriculumwould round out his knowledge of the armed forces and theirrole in national security policy.His course work would alsohelp him learn how to plan and implement national strategy.In February 1976, while he was still enrolled at the NationalWar College, Powell received a promotion to full colonel.Twomonths later, partway through his second semester at thecollege, his superiors gave him another field command.Hewas made brigade commander of the 101st Airborne Division,based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.44COLIN POWELLLocated at Fort Lesley J.McNair in Washington, D.C., the National WarCollege offers a course of study that emphasizes the planning andimplementing of national security policy.Powell enrolled there in1975 and graduated from the college with distinction in late 1976.Powell s appointment to the division s Second Brigadebrought with it a large measure of prestige.The 101st hadfought with distinction during World War II and, along withthe 82nd Airborne Division, now made up the army s entiremobile attack force.If the army needed to respond quickly toa military crisis, Powell could almost certainly expect to findhimself in the thick of the action.During his tenure as commander of the Second Brigade,Powell once again showed himself to be a hard-driving,energetic leader.But when the opportunity arose, he revealedanother side of his character.A battalion commander in45The Corridor of PowerPowell s unit, Lieutenant Colonel Vic Michael, hurt his backafter he slipped and fell while getting out of a helicopter.Michael tried to shrug off the injury, but Powell sent him to adoctor.The physician found that spinal surgery was needed torepair the injury.Powell refused to follow normal army procedures, whichwould have resulted in another officer assuming commandof Michael s battalion.Instead, he helped Michael s juniorofficers run the battalion and kept the position open untilMichael underwent surgery and was healthy enough to resumehis duties. Powell could have ended my career, but he hadfaith in me, Michael said later. He acted like he owed mesomething.I will never forget his understanding for me as asoldier and a human being.RETURN TO THE PENTAGONPowell graduated with distinction from the National WarCollege in late 1976.The following summer, after serving asbrigade commander for a little more than a year, he returnedto the Pentagon as a military assistant in the office of thedeputy defense secretary.During his previous postings inWashington, he had served under Republican administrations,first Nixon s and then Gerald Ford s.Now, a Democrat, Jimmy Carter, sat in the White House,which meant that Powell was working for another Democrat,Deputy Secretary of Defense Charles W.Duncan, Jr.The change in the political climate made no difference inthe way the Pentagon s top brass perceived Powell.He hadnot been labeled a Republican or a Democrat (in actuality,he considered himself an independent) because he had nevershown any leanings toward either of the nation s two mainpolitical parties.First and foremost, he was a military officer,and as such he preferred to leave politics to others and performhis duties regardless of which party the national electionshad placed in control of the Pentagon.46COLIN POWELLPowell remained at the Pentagon until 1979, when he brieflywent to work at the newly established Department of Energy.His immediate boss at the Defense Department had just beennamed the new secretary of energy and had invited Powellto come along. I went to the Department of Energy with himfor two to three months, Powell later said of Duncan, to helphim get set up.Duncan, in turn, took the colonel under his wing andtaught him how to achieve his goals in the maze of federalbureaucracy without ruffling any feathers.One of Duncan srules of thumb, Powell now jokes, stuck with him for life. When I told [Duncan] something awful had happened,Powell recalled, he said, Well, Colin, if all else fails and wehave no choice, tell the truth. BRIGADIER GENERALIn the summer of 1979, at age 42, Powell reached yet anothermilestone in his military career.On June 1, the army promotedhim to brigadier general
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]